During the last few decades, many new ethological categories for trace fossils have been proposed in addition to the original five given by Seilacher. In this article, we review these new groups and present a version of the scheme of fossil animal behaviour originally published by Bromley updated with regard to modern ethological concepts, especially those of Tinbergen. Because some behaviours are more common in certain environments than others, they are useful in palaeoecological reconstructions, forming the original basis of the ichnofacies concept. To simplify, we summarise some ethological categories as previously done by others. However, the tracemaker's behaviour in some cases is so distinctive that subcategories should be employed, especially in ecological interpretations of certain environments where a special behaviour may be dominant.

Well-preserved fossil eggs and eggshell fragments from the Pliocene Apolakkia Formation of Rhodes (Greece) are described. The eggs were found in-situ in a clutch. They are sub-spherical with lengths of 53-60 mm and widths of about 40 mm. All eggs are diagenetically compressed and their original diameters are estimated at 45-50 mm. The eggshells are 0.3-0.5 mm thick, partly recrystallized, but widely still aragonitic. They consist of needle-like crystals that form individual shell units. A few pores are preserved between these shell units. This shell-structure allows assignment to chelonian eggs in the oofamily Testudoolithidae and the oogenus Testudolithus. The external morphology, microstructure and mineralogical composition of the eggshells show close resemblance to eggs of the extant tortoise Geochelone elephantopus. Together with a small association of turtle carapace fragments from the same formation, the clutch represents the first discovery of turtle and reptilian remains from the Pliocene of the island of Rhodes.

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